In particular with autonomous driving of a vehicle by means of an automatic control, the steering maneuvers that are carried out by the automatic system are reported back to a driver via a steering torque that is applied to a steering wheel of the vehicle. In this case, the driver can “override” a steering torque predetermined by the automatic control system so that the driver provides a steering torque that is greater than the steering torque provided by the automatic control system.
Since as a rule, only one sensor is used to determine a current steering angle or the steering state of a vehicle which measures a current steering torque, an unequivocal assignment of a currently applied steering torque to the steering of the vehicle, namely either to the automatic control system or to the driver is not possible.
In particular in situations in which the cause of a steering angle changes, such as for example with an intervention of a driver in a driving operation when a vehicle has been controlled over a period of time by means of an automatic control system, the knowledge that the driver of the vehicle controls or would like to control the vehicle is very important for the adjustment of the driving dynamic systems of the vehicle.
The German document DE 10 2010 027 356 A1 discloses a method wherein a steering torque is determined as a function of a target value for a control variable for adjusting a steering angle.
A method according to which the steering behavior of a vehicle is adjusted as a function of a respective engine characteristic curve is disclosed in the German document 10 2011 016 052 A1. In the German document 10 2014 208 926 A1 is disclosed a method for detecting a steering torque for supporting a steering torque to be applied by a driver, wherein a steering torque that is applied by a driver is adjusted according to a steering torque that is applied by a steering system.